But who needs acceptance?
by Charlatan
Summary: Hermione and Snape form an unlikely friendship, based on a suprising realisation that they are more alike than either would care to admit
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Hermione looked up and opened her eyes, she yelped in surprise as she saw a pair of eyes uncomfortably close to her own, "Gods, have you never heard of personal space?" she groaned trying to sit up.

"I will overlook your rudeness Miss Granger in light of your accident, I will however not overlook your stupidity. You will serve detention tonight at eight o'clock." The potions master informed her standing up.

"If you please professor, it was my fault." Ron cut in.

"I don't doubt that Weasley" Snape began dryly, "However Miss Granger should know better than to leave you unsupervised whilst doing anything more complicated than breathing."

This was followed by great laughter by the Slytherins, and Hermione groaned as her head began to thump with the noise. Leaning back she closed her eyes and willed the pain to stop.

Suddenly the pain disappeared, and she looked up shocked to see Snape waving a wand over her head. Vaguely realising she had never seen him use a wand in class before, and only very rarely outside of class, she got up slowly and sat in her seat.

"Sorry" Ron mouthed to her as Snape resumed the lesson. Hermione dismissed it with a grin and began to tidy up the remnants of her potion. The lesson drew to a close and Hermione walked to the front of the class.

"I take it your not here to hand in a potion." Snape sneered from behind his desk.

"No Sir." Hermione affirmed. "I was wondering what time you said for me to serve detention tonight."

"Eight o'clock Miss Granger." Snape said as she nodded and turned away.

Hermione left the Gryffindor Common Room at 7:45, thankful to be getting away from Ron's incessant apologising, if a little annoyed at having to serve a detention with Professor Snape.

Five to Eight, Hermione notes as she entered the potions lab. Thank Merlin she wasn't late.

"Miss Granger" Snape acknowledged as she entered the room

"Professor." She responded, may as well try to be polite she thought.

"I will be with you in a moment, sit down." He said not taking his eyes off the caldron in front of him.

Hermione sat down and watched him work. It was rare, she knew, to ever see someone brew potions with such skill, mesmerised by the almost lazy yet deft movements of his hands she was frustrated when he turned to her finally, a few more ingredients and she would have guessed what potion he was trying to make.

"You were early" Snape stated.

"I wanted to get away from Ron." She told him, wondering why on earth she had told him that.

"Understandable." Snape replied, almost but not quite managing to hide a grin.

"Your assignment tonight is an essay on the properties and uses of giants blood. All the material you will need is on my desk." He told her.

"Giants blood?" Hermione said raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that only used in the darkest potions." She asked surprised.

"Your about to find out aren't you." Snape answered. "I wanted to find you a new topic." He explained turning back to his caldron.

"And Miss Granger, this is a delicate potion so noise to a minimum please." He finished. Hermione rolled her eyes at this, like she was going to try and start up a conversation with him. She turned to his desk and picked up a stack of books, scrolls and parchments and carried them to a desk and began the assignment.

Hermione had gotten to what she supposed would be the middle point of her essay, Snape had been right, this was an interesting topic, but she was on her third roll of parchment and was running out of what she had brought with her. Looking up she saw Snape standing back from his caldron watching it boil.

Coughing lightly to get his attention, Hermione noted his startled expression as he turned around. "I forgot you were still here" he began, wiping a hand across his eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you professor but have you got any more parchment." Hermione asked.

"What time is it?" He questioned ignoring her request.

"One fifteen." She replied shocked.

"You are dismissed Miss Granger." He told her.

"What about my assignment?" Hermione asked.

"Granger its gone one, go to bed." He told her tiredly.

"May I take some of these books?" She asked hopefully, "I mean I have never seen any of these in the library."

"Take them, return them to me when you are done, as long as you go now." Snape informed her.

Hermione turned to clear away her books keeping the most interesting volumes for herself. Just as she was leaving she was interrupted by a gasp of pain. "Are you alright Sir?" She asked turning round to see her potions master holding his arm in pain.

"Granger I've got to go. This potion can't be left in this state. Carry it on until I get back. The nest ingredient is Hinkypunk nails. Will you be alright?" He asked as she scanned the book quickly.

"Yes" she replied, noting that this was one of the most complicated potions she had ever seen.

"Good" was the reply of the retreating figure.

**A/N: I havent posted anything in a while,I have the beginings of a few new stories written, and I hope to start posting again regularly. Good to my account to see my previous work, and please let me know what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione yawned, she guessed most people would be waking up soon. Where the bloody hell was Snape? And more to the point what possessed him to start this potion in the evening? Still she only had one more ingredient to add, then she could bottle this and go.

Adding the armadillo bile and stepping back, she grinned as the potion turned emerald green. Perfect. She funnelled the potion into a glass vile and labelled it as "Spiritus Tandem" She picked up a scrap of parchment and penned a short note to her Professor:

_"Professor Snape,_

_I have finished the potion, I hope it is O.K._

_H.G."_

Sighing she looked at her watch, six o'clock exactly, no point in going back to bed, she thought, may as well just go and have a shower and then grab the first of may cups of coffee she was going to need today. Grabbing her bag she shut the door behind her quietly as she left the potions lab.

Bypassing the Gryffindor tower, she made her way to the prefects bathroom. Walking into the empty room she stepped into a hot shower leaning against the clod tiles and allowing herself to relax for the first time since yesterday lunchtime. Only when the water finally started to run cold did she step out of the cubical to towel off.

Walking down to the Great Hall she noted that most of the students had already arrived and scanned down the table for Harry and Ron. Spying them down the far end she strode down and sat down between them noticing they both looked very tired.

"Alright?" She asked in way of a greeting.

"You were gone for a long time last night Mi. What did the bat have you going?" Ron began.

"An essay." Hermione answered, thinking Snape probably wouldn't want them knowing he had been called away last night.

"When did he let you go?" Harry pushed.

"Dunno, quite late. Didn't finish the essay though. Must finish that. "She said the last part to herself. "Pass the coffee Harry." She carried on looking up at the teachers table noticing Snape was back not looking any worse for wear after having been out all last night.

"Potions first." Ron groaned, "Will you read over my essay for me Mi?" He asked.

"Ron, you've had all night to do the damn essay. I've been out all night and just want a cup of coffee. Give me five minutes." Hermione retorted. Finishing the rest of her breakfast in silence.

20 minutes later Hermione found herself back in the potions lab. Sitting down she pulled out her textbook and quill waiting for the lesson to begin.

Professor Snape entered the room in his usual manner and strode to the front of the classroom. "Due to the abysmal quality of the potions created yesterday we will be reviewing the mistakes, the most memorable being created by Mr Weasley." Snape began.

"Get out your parchment and quills and we will begin." Snape finished walking down to Hermione's desk leaving a stack of parchment on the corner. Hermione looked up shocked and nodded her thanks pulling a piece towards her and started her notes for the lesson.

Yawning slightly Hermione looked at the page in front of her. The lesson must be coming to a close soon she thought to her self, skimming through the notes of ridiculous mistakes. Snape finally stopped his monologue and the class looked up with a collective sigh.

"You are dismissed." Snape finished. "Miss Granger remain behind."

"Bastard." Ron hissed. "like he didn't keep you for long enough last night."

"Ron shut up." Hermione tossed over her shoulder as she walked up to the front bench.

When the last student shut the door Snape looked up at Hermione, "How did you find the potion last night?" He began idly.

"Fine Professor." She answered carefully.

"40 points to Gryffindor for your help." He said without looking up.

"Thank you Sir." Hermione answered surprised.

"Yes, well, why are you still standing there?" Snape snapped back to his usual self.

"Sorry." Hermione answered sarcastically, turning and walking out.

Snape shook his head as she left, he had to hand it to her, last night she had created a potion he found difficult, she had obviously not slept last night, and just completed a two hour lesson and she still had attitude.

Two days after she had recovered from her detention, Hermione found herself walking down to Snape's office. Knocking on the door she waited until the clipped tones called for her to enter.

"Miss Granger." He acknowledged as she walked in waiting for her to begin.

"I've finished the essay Sir." She informed him.

"I thought I told you, you didn't have to do that?" He asked her scowling slightly.

"I know. But I found the topic fascinating. You don't have to read it, I got a bit carried away." She informed him.

"More carried away than normal?" He asked her an eyebrow raised.

"Eight rolls of parchment." She grinned.

"And that's taken two days? Sit down Miss Granger your making my neck sore" He told her gesturing to a leather armchair.

"Thank you Sir. I was wondering why you didn't give me any of the papers you had published on the subject?" Hermione asked.

"You found them?" Snape asked shocked.

"Yes I wanted to read the contradiction to the Boltzwell theory. I would've preferred it if you had given me the paper, bloody difficult to track down."

"Language Granger." Snape reprimanded her. "So you enjoyed this topic?" He carried on.

"Yes, the library has nothing like this." Hermione answered.

"The library has a fantastic historical collection but no recent works." Snape huffed.

"You don't agree Sir?" Hermione asked.

"You are never going to succeed if you leave here only knowing about potion ingredients discovered five hundred years ago."

Hermione nodded "I guess so." She agreed, "Well I should be going."

"Leave the essay. I'll see what I can find that will be of interest to you." Snape told her as she left.

**A/N:To those who reviewed -Thank you. I'll try and post more in a short while, just give my beta time to breathe...**


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